


What Makes A Friend

by PinkGem



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Best Friends, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Caretaking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fever, Friendship, High School, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Procedures, Sickfic, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-26 00:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14989118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkGem/pseuds/PinkGem
Summary: Prompto was sick. Through and through.And Noctis is both angry and worried about his friend who tried pushing aside his sickness like it was nothing. If he had came out and said he was sick, it wouldn't have gotten this far.





	What Makes A Friend

**Author's Note:**

> First and for most, I am sorry about the really crapp summary. I am the worst at those. Writing a story, no problem. ..but summaries? Forget about it...
> 
> ..  
> ..
> 
> Wow. I can't believe I'm posting this now after writing it months ago. This is what happens when you forget to post and it gets sent to the bottom of the list forever. 
> 
> Oh well!
> 
> So rhis story was just something I was quite bored and wrote. Its a sweet fic, with maybe a few errors, and kinda meh. So please ignore that!
> 
> Again, another fic of both Noctis and Prompto being the best friends they are. I seriously can't get enough. It kills me a bit inside!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Noctis sat in the back of the black, fancy car as Ignis sped down the road , swerving around traffic to get to the citadel as fast and as safely as he could. The world zoomed past them as his arms were firmly wrapped around a familiar blond boy, who leaned heavily against him, burning to the touch and taking uneven breaths of air into abused lungs. The prince bit his lip and placed a shaky hand on the blonds forehead, brushing away the sweaty locks of hair to get to the heated skin.   
He frowned when his fingers heated up much faster this time.

He shifted his weight, keeping his arms locked around him, hoping to put Prompto into a better position, but the movement only made the blond moan out in discomfort, and take another gasp of air. The body under him was too exhausted to do much else as he sunk into the gap of his underarm and lay still, body heaving. 

Noctis held him still as Ignis turned a sharp corner, keeping the blond still to not aggravate his stomach and send him into another bought of sickness. Ignis would probably yell at Noctis for upsetting the blond, but also about him having too clean up vomit the rest of the afternoon. It tore him up inside to see his best friend suffer like this. If only he came out and said he was sick, it wouldn’t have gotten so far.

The prince closed his eyes. He was both angry and worried about his friend who tried pushing aside his sickness like it was nothing. What a horrible day this was.

 

\--

 

 

For once in his life, Noctis was quite excited to head to school. He and Prompto were planning a great weekend of games and lots of junk food the moment those bells rang for them to leave. So here he was, leaning back in his seat as Ignis prepared to drop him off at school. 

He sent Prompto a text to meet him in the usual spot, but didn’t get a reply back until much later. The text was sloppy and misspelt, making the prince laugh because his friend always typed really fast, therefore missing letters. 

As the car pulled closer to the building, he saw Prompto waiting for him at the corner of the street just off the school grounds, back slouching tiredly against the fence and head facing to the ground. Ignis parked the car on the curb, letting the prince out. He waved to Ignis as he drove off.

The moment the car rounded the corner, he turned and walked closer to his friend, grinning wide with a smile , ready to talk about the busy plans they had, but was immediately changed to a frown when he noticed the blonds pale skin. It was sheet white, his blue eyes were now red and raw, and the skin underneath was dark. The boy looked like he hadn’t slept in a week.

Over all, he looked sick.

“Hey. You ok? Your kinda pale. Well, more than usual.” He joked, getting a light slap in return.

Prompto gave him a tired smile, before letting out a few coughs. “ Yeah. I’m just tired.”

Noctis could feel the frown returning and went to place a hand to check his temperature , but Prompto batted it away with a childish whine, convincing the prince and saying he was fine, and only tired. Noctis didn’t believe a single word of his story as Prompto said he was up all night to get their homework assignment done. He gave the blond a look, studying him, but in the end , just sighed and shrugged.

They slowly made their way into the school when the bell rang, heading to their lockers to retrieve their books for class. All the while, Noctis watched the blonds every movement. Every breath. Every...well everything! Prompto was clearly not well, but didn’t want to voice his illness. He was being stubborn alright.

Now he knew how Ignis felt on a daily basis.  
First period was going well, in a sense. Math was a subject the prince hates with a fiery passion. He wasn’t bad per say, there were just other subjects he preferred. Classes where they were quiet and easy to take a nap into. The teacher wouldn’t stop talking and the soothing, husky voice of the older man made him sleepy and soon enough, his eyes started to droop. Sleep came first before math. And if the teacher wanted to get mad or yell at him for sleeping during his lessons, then it must suck for him because the prince can get away with it. 

Noctis snorted. His head bobbed dangerously close into the desk, ready to fall asleep. And he was about to until he heard a strange noise in front of him. His snapped opened, eyes blinking and turned his head to the sound to find Prompto leaning forward, fingers twitching as they wrapped around his middle.

“ Hey. You ok?” He whispered, not wanting the rest of the class to hear. He tapped the blond on his shoulder when he received no reply.

Prompto made an attempt to whine, but came out gurgled, as he shifted slightly to make eye contact. Noctis could now see his whole body shaking, like the classroom was being attacked by the autumn breeze, but it was fairly warm inside. The heater was define turned on.

“ I..I’m fine. “ He whimpered, letting out another cough. It came out so forced and scratchy in his throat. He watched as Prompto blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, but the evidence was erased when he raised a pale hand before it could reach his chin, and let out an exhausted sigh. 

“ You don’t look ‘ fine’ to me.” Noctis shot back, leaning into his chair, never daring to take his eyes off the blond. 

Prompto remained silent, looking like he wanted to put a last word in, but decided against it. Noctis sat up with waited breath. With another sigh, Prompto knew he lost the battle. With a huff, he turned to face the front,his hand rubbing his neck and cleared this throat.  
The rest of the class went by rather fast, much to the pleasure of Noctis, who grabbed his assignment from the teacher and headed out the door. He stood off to the side and waited for Prompto, who’s feet shuffled loudly across the floor, and stopped when he reached him.

“ Some class, huh?” He joked, elbowing the blond in the arm. The gesture was so fake and made him cringe. He was overstepping the boundaries. Totally something he would not do. It was a ‘Prompto’ thing.

Prompto only nodded, his eyes closed tight. His face was drained of all colour as he pressed a hand into his abdomen. 

“ Hey! “ he called out, reaching out.

Prompto took a gasping breath, grabbing a hold of Noctis’ stretched out hand in a vice grip before loosening his grip and slowly pushing it away.

“ I- its just my stomach acting up again. I’ll be f-fine.”

Noctis blinked. Does he think I’m some kind of idiot?  
It was almost insulting that he would lie to his friend about the obvious pain he was experiencing and passing it off as a stomach ache. While he was aware of his friends sensitive stomach, he had witnessed first hand what it does to him. Sure it was unpleasant to experience, but it only brought discomfort for a short amount of time and went away when assisted with medication. But the chills and the pale skin? This was new. Most smart people would admit that were in pain, therefor getting the help the need and be over it. So why did he keep stating he was fine? 

Maybe he was coming down with a cold?

“ Have you taken your medication?” He began, only to be cut off suddenly.

“ Noct, I said I’m fine. It will go away.” He grumbled, eyes downcast and refusing to look at the prince. He wiped a hand under his chin. When it came back, it was wet.

Noctis sighed in defeat, Unsure on what do to. He threw his bag over his shoulders, waiting for Prompto to do the same as they made their way to their next class. He scowled the whole way.

They walked together slowly to the gymnasium. The locker room was nearly empty as the other classmates reached it first, so it just left Noctis and Prompto. They changed quietly. Noctis got into his gym clothes much faster than Prompto had, who was having difficulty staying on his feet. Noctis watched carefully as Prompto tried to change. His arms moved sloppily, unable to get his arm through the holes correctly and legs wobbled underneath his weight. So he opted to change on the benches.

Once that fiasco was over with, they shoved their clothes into their respective lockers and proceeded to exit the locker room. Noctis reached the door first, holding it open to let the blond walk through when he noticed Prompto wasn’t behind him. Noctis panicked and turned to find Prompto once again hunched over, hand resting on the grey locker, his face going even more pale, if it were possible. He rushed over, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady him and keep him from falling over. 

“ Hey! I think you might need to sit down.” He cried. His voice echoing loudly in the room.

Prompto was slow to react, like he didn’t hear his call. His eyes were dazed and unfocused when Noctis took a good look at them. The marvellous baby blue they normally where, where now a washed out colour.

“ I’m fine.” He gasped, the acrion caused him to cough hard. Noctis grimaced at the sound.

“ Prom, you don’t look fine. Please, let me help you. Do you want me to take you to the nurses office?” He pleaded , rubbing a hand between the blonds shoulder blades. He pushed on his body and guided him to sit down on the bench. Once sitting the blond took another deep breath, as he resumed his rubbing.

Prompto moaned at the contact. He loved it, but it didn’t make the churning in his stomach go away. Any movement and he was afraid he was going to hurl.

“ I’ll be fine Noct. Thanks. “ He mumbled, shakily getting to his feet, but was forced down once again by Noctis, who gave him a look to sit still and nothing more. 

He wanted to scream at Prompto. His friends was really starting to test his patience, and it was wearing thin fast. He was seconds away from forcing him to the ground and get him to finally say that he wasn’t well. Why won’t he say that?

If he says he’s fine one more time,I’m going to rip my hair out!

Noctis reached inside his bag and pulled out his water bottle, and thrust it into the blonds, hands, demanding him to take a drink. Prompto took one look at the bottle and then chugged the water like a dying man. Noctis watched with amazement as Prompto’s Adams apple bobbed with each gulp. Once the bottle was nearly empty, he handed it back to Noctis, who took it with eager hands, and tossed it back into his locker, slamming the door shut.

“ You feeling better?”

Prompto nodded, with a cough. The water had done some sort of miracle work on him. His skin turned a shade darker , like a human should look like , his eyes focused more and he looked more alert. The pale, sickly look seemed to have vanished. Noctis got up and placed a hand on his hips, pleased with his work. 

He took a step forward, turning back to face Prompto with a grin. “ Alright,I think it’s time to head out now. Feeling better? “

Prompto got up to his feet, his knees wobbled for a second, Noctis reached out, ready to grab him if he must, but was quick to regain his footing and took a leap towards Noctis and smiled.

“ Yeah. I think so. “

They walked out to the gym to be greeted by the teacher, who grin and whistled for the other students to gather together for instructions. They all listened intently while the teacher talked, but Prompto watched in a daze, his mind seemed to slowly ooze elsewhere. 

He swayed dangerously as another bout of dizziness attacked him, leaving him looking like he would fall over at any given moment, but managed to keep himself upright. Noctis could only watched from the corner of his eye. He felt like punching himself, and Prompto. Definitly Prompto for putting his heart through the roller-coaster it was experiencing. 

Was no one seeing this? Or where they all too stupid to pay any attention besides the teacher? For Ramuh sake, a fellow student was ready to fall over and they don’t even bat an eye. Noctis was torn in two on what he should do.

The sharp deafening scream of a whistle cut him from his thoughts as he shot the teacher a nasty look.They were told to run a few laps to get warmed up. And they did just that. He patted Prompto on the elbow to get him started. 

The first lap was easy. They kept a steady pace, side by side. When he picked up his speed on the second lap, his body reacted and ran faster, completely forgetting about his friend until he heard a loud gag and feet stomping away.

He halted his movements only to see Prompto dashing into the locker room like he was being chased by a pack of rabid dogs. Noctis did not hesitate and followed suite, ignoring the calls from the teacher. He threw the doors opened to find Prompto on the floor, puking up his stomach a few feet away from the toilet. He had gone snow white, and sweat was pouring down his face in rivers.

“Prompto! “ He gasped, sprinting and skidding to his friends side, narrowly missing the puddle of vomit.

Noctis breathed deep as he rubbed his back the whole time he was sick. The vomit was runny, probably from drinking all that water. He was afraid to know when Prompto had eaten last. At least this was easier to bring back up. The other was placed against his heated forehead, hissing at the heat that radiated off the skin.  
This was bad.

Really bad! 

Prompto coughed and sputtered as his body heaved. His muscles sparked with pain with each round of sickness. Tears leaked from his eyes and he gasped for breath that was difficult to obtain, and his arms shook dangerously , unable to hold up his body.

“ N-no-noct!” He croaked. He closed his eyes, and focused on breathing, until his eyes widened and he threw up once more.

Noctis held him the whole time, rubbing his back, comforting him. “ Its ok buddy. It’s going to be ok.” He repeated over and over. And really, that all he could think of right now.

He waited until he was sure Prompto was finished and helped him get to his feet with much difficulty, as the blond couldn’t keep himself up. He walked him over to the bench and grabbed a roll of toilet paper from one of the stalls, wetting it and running the cool water across his face to wipe the sweat away.

Prompto moaned at the cooling sensation of the water against his heated skin. He closed his eyes and leaned into Noctis’ shoulder. Once satisfied, Noctis shook Prompto’s shoulders to keep him awake. He looked up with bleary eyes, not fully able to focus on him.

“ I’m going to take you to the nurses office.” He started, grabbing a hold of his hands and pulling him to his feet. He almost failed to notice his own hands were shaking. “ You can get some rest there.ok?”

Prompto agreed without a word, and with waited steps, they exited the locker room. Much to his dismay, the walk to the nurses office dragged on for too long. He guided Prompto’s feet, one in front of the other, to avoid him stepping on his own toes and falling to the floor. 

Many students would stop what they were doing to turn and watch the two make their way down the hall like a dying animal. Nobody stepped forward to offer assistance, they only stared. Eyes trailing their every movement in a judging manner. Noctis growled. His body pulsing with anger. The selfishness of these students astounded him. They could clearly see a student in need of help, but no one so much as moved an inch to do so. His squeezed his fist, anger seething, but it only earned him a yelp from the blond. 

“ Sorry. “ He muttered, shaking his head, tearing his gaze from the students and looked forward.These people were not important. They never were, and never will be.The only person that required his attention was the blond he was leading.

Once they reached the office, they were greeted with a gasp from the secretary, startling everyone in the room, including the nurse who was off in the corner, speaking pleasantly with the Principle. In a second, the nurse grabbed Prompto ‘s elbow, swiftly and gently guided him into the sick room. However, her movements jostled Prompto, making his stomach churn around inside. The nausea was coming back full force.The second he stepped inside, Prompto had gone pale again, sweat beading on his forehead as he brought a hand to cover his mouth and gagged noisily. Thankfully the nurse knew this was to happen and produced a bucket out of thin air and placed it underneath the blond, who proceeded to throw up again.

Each noise protruding from his friend sounded excruciating in Noctis’ ears as he lowered Prompto to the floor. Every time he heaved, gagged and gasped for breath, it sent daggers through his heart. He could feel his eyes starting to water. He was so scared.

Was his friend dying?

Noctis took a shaky breath, biting his lip from any other sounds to pass through. His eyes unblinking as he watched Prompto hunched over the bucket and his body jolted to expelled more of his stomach contents. He resumed his rubbing on his back like he had many times that day , and gave the nurse a pleading look, but came to see only the door as she bolted out of the room earlier to grab medical supplies.

Prompto stopped a few moments later, still leaning forward, his body unable to do much else other than gasp like a fish out of water to get oxygen into his deprived lungs. It hurt and aggravated his lungs, sending him into a coughing fit. His eyes were closed shut, and fingers grasped the bucket painfully, nails digging into the plastic. His body started to shake again. Every inch of him was covered in a sheet of sweat. It felt disgusting, and he desperately wanted a shower. 

Once he knew he would not spew again, he opened his eyes. The world was blurry around him. Colours blended together to make colours he had never seen before and frankly, people would not want to see. If this continued, he might get sick again...

“Prom?”

Prompto coughed, turning to the sound. A figure sat beside him, very closely. He blinked his eyes rapidly, doing his best to get rid of the fuzz in his eyes. Once they became clear enough, he saw the familiar face of his best friend. But this time, worry was etched deeply into his face.

“ Prom?” Noctis asked again, voice coming out shaking.

He tried responding, but ended up coughing weakly again. He quickly snapped his mouth shut, afraid he would get sick again.

Noctis smiled shakily. It was all he could do right now. His mind was so flustered, he couldn’t think of anything else. He was devastated that this event was being taken place, but he was thanking the gods that Prompto had come to school so he could get taken care of in a sense. If he was stuck at home, it would have been so much more worse.

Prompto moaned when Noctis lifted his head away from the bucket, and helped him to his feet, and dragged him to the bed a few feet away, pulling back the covers and helping him get into a comfortable position. Once Prompto was situated, he pulled the blanket up and wrapped it around his body, tucking him in firmly.

“ T- thanks..No- Noct. “ Prompto moaned, voice barley above a whisper.

Noctis breathed out as he sat down on the plastic chair beside the bed and tried to uphold his smile. He just couldn’t. His friend was so pale, it scared him. The pink that dusted his cheeks stood out from the bleach white sheets. His freckles were easily noticeable to the point he could possibly count out each and every one. Overall, he looked like a delicate glass structure ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

He waited quietly for the nurse to return as Prompto rested on the bed. Once she arrived, she jammed the thermometer into his mouthing without warning, holding him still as he squirmed about. A hand rested on his forehead, as she took his temperature. Once the machine beeped, she tutted when she saw the results.

The prince’s eyes went wide. He didn’t like the sound of that. He reached a finger out, grabbing the nurses attention. 

“ Uh...Um. ..is it...is it bad?”

The nurse turned and smiled as she lightly placed the thermometer on the counter. “ Its not bad, but it’s not good either. He does have a fever. It can easily be cured quite fast with lots of rest and plenty of water. From the records I have for Mr.Argentum, he has quite the weak immune system. And with the symptoms I have seen so far, it looks like he may have the flu. “

Noctis sighed with relief. So his friend wasn’t going to die. Maybe we was over thinking it that there was a possibility. He watched with a smile at each deep and even breath Prompto took. His eyes were closed, but not tight in pain. Though the fever was evidently present, it was well to know that he was relaxed as one could be in his position, and was getting some well deserved rest.

The nurse grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and light lay it across the sleeping blond, smiling lovingly at the display of affection the young prince was showing.“ You care deeply for Mr.Argentum, yes?”

He ran his fingers through sweaty blond hair. Gently tugging at the ends, not looking up to address the nurse. “Of course. Prom is my best friend.” 

“ Yes, Your Highness. He needs lots of sleep. I do believe if would be best for him to be sent home. Resting at school can only do so much.”

Noctis gasped, nearly chocking on his breath. There was no way in Ifrit’s hell he was going to allow Prompto to go home and expect him to take care of himself. He couldn’t even stand! Not to mention cook food or make sure to get enough water into his body. He needed to be somewhere that he would be cared for at all hours of the day. A place he can feel comfortable and loved. To get the best and nutritious foods to a speedy recovery. A place where he will have access to the best medical equipment if he were to go downhill... but prays it doesn’t get to that point.   
A light bulb went off in his head. He would take him back to his home!

The citadel. 

It made perfect sense. There he would be able to watch every second of his recovery. No hiding any facts. He trusts the doctors, and knows they will inform him on his recovery. He will contact the chefs personally to make all of Prompto’s favorite foods! Foods Noctis would never touch, but prefect for a sick body. He instantly pulled out his phone, and called the only man he knew would be able to help him. At this moment.

He called Ignis. 

The conversation was very brief when the advisor picked up, sounding almost worried that the prince would be calling at such a time. Noctis almost went into a frenzy about the events that took place. He requested that he show up as soon as he could. Ignis agreed, hanging up the phone, promising he was on his way.

Once finished, he stashed his phone into his pocket and glued his eyes back to the blond beside him, almost jumping out of his skin to find Prompto’s eyes slightly opened and staring at the wall in front of him. His skin had yet to show any colour besides the pale white and pink dusting his cheeks. His eyes were dull, lacking the natural blue that normally sparked his day. He took far too many deep breaths for his liking, like he couldn’t feed his lungs enough air and the sweat kept pouring down.

The nurse came back in to the room, shoes clicking on the marble floors with an ice pack wrapped in a cloth. He nodded as she handed it over, wincing at the cold and held it against Prompto’s forehead. The blond closed his eyes and moaned the moment it touched his heated skin.

“ Its ok Prompto. “ he shushed quietly. Shifting the ice pack to cover as much of the heated skin as he could. “ Ignis will be here soon and we can take you home. “

Prompto made a gurgling sound in acknowledgement. It sounded like something was stuck in his throat and he coughed miserably. Noctis continued to rub his back. 

The nurse left saying she needed to check on another student, and to alert her if his condition were to change. He nodded, keeping his promise to do so. She turned off the light, leaving the room dark, the only light came from the door left slightly ajar.

Noctis watched as Prompto’s heavy eyes drooped, and scrunched his face into the thin pillow beneath him.Rest was just what he needed. He grabbed another blanket from under the bed and tossed it on him, hoping the extra warmth would satisfy him. Prompto   
Everything seemed to have gone quiet and soon he started to close his own eyes. Today had worn him out, and was finally taking its toll. His head bobbed dangerously, chin almost smacking into his chest. He growled to himself, closing his eyes again when Prompto suddenly jerked up and gagged loudly.  
Noctis shot up from the chair in a panic, looking for the bucket. When he managed to locate it, he was met with the blond throwing up from the edge of the bed. He yelled out for the nurse who scrambled back in with record speed and knelt down beside Prompto, pushing back his matted hair to reach his forehead and whispered into his ear.

Shaking from his spot, Noctis had finally reached his melting point. He threw himself out the door, and dialed Ignis’ number as he let out a growl, ignoring the looks from the others in the room as he paced up and down the space. Once the advisor answered, he started screaming into the phone demanding to know where he was, throwing out all signs of acting like royalty. He was just so scared and he didn’t know what to do. Getting to the citadel was the only thing his mind was telling him that would help his friend. Nothing else.

Ignis, bless him for being patient and not screaming back at the prince ,confirmed he would be at the school in about ten minutes. Not really satisfied with his response, Noctis glared at his phone and threw it into his bag from across the room, narrowly missing and hitting the wall. He went back to Prompto, who was coughing roughly. The nurse still had the palm of her hand resting against his forehead and patting his back.

“ Prompto...”

The nurse was so kind and helpful as she cleaned up the mess in the floor. She never said a negative word, only sending smiles to the boys. Noctis offered to help, but she declined, asking if he could sit with Prompto to help him get comfortable. He hesitated, until he gave him, sitting back down on the uncomfortable plastic chair.

So here he was, feet bouncing as he waited for Ignis. Thankfully he didn’t have to sit long as the advisor burst threw the door, making the nurse yelp and the prince jump, heaving for breath, wiping his sleeve across his forehead. He immediately headed to the blond on the bed and thrust a palm to the forehead, only to be pulled back like he had been burnt.

“ My goodness, the boy is burning up. “ he gasped out to the nurse.

Noctis scrunched his eyes, trying to ignore the rushed conversation between Ignis and the nurse. Can’t they see Prompto is in pain? Suffering? Why can’t they just leave?

When he opened his eyes, he saw Ignis help Prompto to his feet, both arms keeping a firm grip around the body and guided him to the door. “ Your Highness, we are leaving. “ he said sharply, eyes forward.

Noctis grabbed his bag and followed after his advisor, and shot a small smile to the nurse before rushing out the glass doors. 

Ignis had parked the car right outside, so the walk wouldn’t be too much of a problem for Prompto. But he wasn’t so sure. Just being upright had Prompto feeling incredibly nauseous. His skin stark white and breathing deep as he gripped weakly to Ignis’ forearm. Noctis rushed out and helped assist in guiding his friend to the car.

He was carefully placed into the black car. Noctis shifted to the other side, holding him still while Ignis busied himself with buckling him up securely. Though he never fought with the advisor, he did let out many moans of discomfort. He was simply too tired to do much else but lay against the seat and let them do their job. Once settled ,Ignis slammed the door shut and headed to the drivers side, and started the car.

Noctis ripped off his jacket and tossed it over Prompto’s chest when he saw him shiver, tucking him in as gently as he could. Prompto closed his eyes and leaned back into the leather seat.

The drive back to the citadel could have gone faster, but because of the time, traffic was a major problem. People were getting off their early shifts, or heading out to meet with others. It was midday, so the roads to packed. Cars kept cutting their way, making Ignis cursed, fingers tapping the wheel with frustration. Noctis could have laughed, but when he remembered the predicament they were in, he held it.

Once they drove off the highway and onto the main streets, Ignis picked up speed and drove as fast as he could. Faster than Noctis had ever seen. And honestly, it scared him. He held onto Prompto tightly, making sure he wasn’t jostled too much and didn’t vomit. There were a few times were he looked like he would hurl, but glad he was able to keep it in. Hopefully he had nothing left inside his stomach after the many times he had been sick. 

Prompto coughed and moaned weakly as they hit a bump. Ignis turned back, muttering a quick apology, as sharp eyes watched the boy for any signs if he were to be sick. He didn’t, and Ignis resumed his driving. 

When they entered the citadel gates, Noctis looked ahead and saw the familiar figure of his shield who was waiting for them to arrive with a nurse who he knew quite well. Ignis must have called the infirmity when he was on his way to the school. He always thought ahead, that man. He wanted to hug Ignis so badly right now, but Prompto was top priority.

“ Hey Prom. Where here.” He said, smiling down to the blond, who raised his head, blue eyes unfocused. Noctis frowned, but the door was thrown opened and hands reaching out wards. 

“ Move Princess. I need to get him out.” Gladio motioned, arms stretched out. His voice was gruff, but held a hint of concern.

Noctis gave a look to his shield, who flashed him with a small smile. He nodded, letting go of Prompto as he scooted out of the car and watched intently as Gladio unbuckled him from the seat and gently pulled him from the car, tucking an arm around his back and underneath his knees, and hugging him up against his chest.

The nurse bustled over, taking a quick look at him before telling Gladio to take him to the infirmity. Noctis followed , leaving Ignis with the car with a huff and stayed close behind Gladio as they ran through the hallways and down to the medical floor. Staff members stepped off to the side, shocked looks on their faces as the prince and his shield dashed down the hall. A maid shrieked as they nearly collided with her when they rounded the corner.

Cor just so happened to be one of those people. He glared their direction, trying to make sense of what happened. He did however catch a glimpse of bright blond hair off to the side of Gladio’s figure, and put two together. He marched off in a hurry to the Kings study.

Noctis smiled when the familiar medic doors came unto view. He stole a glance to Prompto,but frowned when he saw the blond , eyes closed and not moving.  
Gladio kicked the door open, startling a doctor who was reading off to the side, and immediately stood up at the intrusion. 

“ Master Amicitia! What is the meaning of this?” he gasped, briskfully walking over to the shield.

“ I have a patient here who needs help.“ He gestured to the blond in his arms.

The doctor rushed over, pushing back sweaty hair, checking his temperature before guiding Gladio to one of the empty beds off to the side. He threw back the white sheets and deposited Prompto gently on the plush bed, and took a step back, allowing the doctor to do his job. Noctis caught up, running to the blond, but a large hand held him back roughly.

“ What the hell Gladio?” He yelled, glaring up at the taller man.

Gladio only shook his head, never taking his eyes off the doctor as he worked. “ You will only get in the way. Let the doctor do his job.”

Noctis choked on his breath. “ What about Prompto?” 

“ Prompto is in good hands Noctis! He is in the doctors hands now!” He growled back, pushing the prince forcefully to the infirmity doors. 

Noctis fought back, clawing and punching the shield as he tried his best to overthrow him, but the man was too strong. Nothing was working. Before being thrown out the doors, his last glimpse was of the doctor in his pure white coat, leaning over the bright coloured hair of his friend before the door was slammed shut in his face.

 

 

\--

 

 

Gladio sat patiently on one of the chairs outside the infirmity, watching the prince pace back and forth like a caged animal. His hands shook as he kept taking his hands out of his pockets and fumbling with something to keep them busy, but was quick to change, as he shoved them into his mouth, biting at the ends.

It must have been roughly about an hour since Prompto had been omitted into the infirmity with no update. But Gladio knew the blond would be just fine. Sure he was in a bad state, but the kid was too stubborn to go down with out a fight. The little guy reminded him of a certain prince...

Ignis had stopped by for a short time, only to soon retreat into the kitchen. Cooking always took his mind off things, and really, the advisor was just as jittery as the prince. They both needed to calm down before they suffer from a heart attack.

He sighed once again as the prince cursed once again, eyes glaring at the doors. “ Cursing isn’t going to make the door open Princess. “

Noctis halted his movement and glared at the shield. “ Yeah, well its been an hour! I think they should have come out and given us something! “ he yelled and went back to pacing.

“ I know your worried about the kid, but you need to calm down before you will do something you will regret.” He informed.

“ Worried? “ Noctis laughed. “ Of course I’m worried! He’s my best friend! And he’s sick! And I don’t know what to do to help him!” He cried, pulling at his hair and let out a hiccup. He bit his lip to close off any other sounds to pass through his lips. He collapsed at the floor in a heap, tears collecting in the corners of his eyes.

Gladio stood up and knelt down to the prince, putting a comforting hand on his back. “ He’s going to be fine. Trust me on this. Have I ever lied to you?”

Noctis sniffed loudly, and took a deep, shaky breath. 

“N-no.”

“ And I never will.”

They remained on the floor, waiting for Noctis to compose himself. A soft squeaking sound was heard echoing down the hall. They turned and saw Ignis pushing a tray filled with food. Sweets were pilled high on the lower rack.

“ Feeding a class Ignis?” Gladio joked. 

Ignis ignored him and stopped just past the door, parking the tray. “ No. Just feeding our nerves.” He said, plucking a cupcake from the tray and shoving it into his mouth.

Gladio watched in amazement as the advisor went for his second moments later. Never had he seen the man eat sweets like he was now. He must really be shaken. Noctis had failed to get up and head over to eat his own. Instead he stayed perfectly still on the floor, rubbing the back of his hand across his now red eyes.

“ Not going to eat?” He asked, grabbing a cupcake of his own. Mouth melting at the thick chocolate taste. Maybe Ignis should stress cook more often.

“ No.”

The shield shrugged, eating another sweet. They all sat outside the doors for quite some time until they opened. Noctis bolted from his spot and into the doctors face, demanding answers.

“ How is he?” He cried, ignoring the hand that gripped into his hand, preventing him from entering the room.

“ Your friend is just fine. I was able to bring his fever down. The vomiting has stopped as well. It’s nothing serious to worry about. No need to fret Your Highness.”   
The doctor smiled and stepped to the side to allow the prince to walk through. He rushed in the room and headed straight for the bed Prompto lay in.

He sighed when we saw Prompto fast asleep on the bed. Eyes closed in peace, and his skin had regained some colours, though he was still pale. The flush to his cheeks didn’t stand out too much, but was now a light pink. Thick blankets were wrapped around his body like a cocoon. He just looked so much better.

Noctis smiled wide. And sniffed again as his eyes filled with tears. He was so worried, and here he was, getting better. He whipped the back of his hand across his eyes again to rid the tears of their presence. The footsteps of Ignis and Gladio were loud to his ears as they joined him by his side. 

“ Told ya the little guy would be ok.” Gladio smirked, slapping Noctis hard on the back. He sent the man a look before turning back.

“Yeah.” He muttered. He reached out and grasped Prompto’s delicate fingers and closing them together. He let out another sigh as he closed his eyes.

Ignis approached to his side and shoved a large, dark chocolate muffin, sprinkled generously with chocolate chips on the top, into his lap. 

“ Eat, Your Highness.” He said with his mouth full with his forth or fifth cupcake. But who really knew at this point.

Noctis stared at the advisor, eyes shining bright. He laughed loudly and took a large bite, hoping that Prompto would be able to taste one himself soon.

Cor and Regis stood just outside the infirmary door, watching as the three young men stuffed their faces with various goods and laughed heartily while the other rested peacefully. Regis nodded once before heading back the way he came and to his study, Cor one step behind him.

 

\--

 

 

The first day was uneventful at first. Prompto couldn’t stay awake for more than five minutes. If one could call that ‘ being awake’. He was like a zombie. His eyes were opened, but they were unseeing and he moaned alot.

Much later in the afternoon, Prompto’s fever had spiked up to a dangerous temperature and wasn’t making much sense with his words. The vomiting got worse. The nurse had to hold him up as he didn’t have the strength to do it himself as sweat poured from every part of his body. Just when you thought he was done, he would gag harshly, only to throw up again. It was pitiful to watch. And made Noctis nauseous.

There were moments where he would stare blankly at the ceiling and murmured out to an invisible force beside him, like he was having a full conversation with someone. The words didn’t make sense and the way he said it sounded wrong to his ears. He once called out to Noctis, when his fever spiked up again, screaming out like he was being attacked. The doctor and an assistance had to hold him down, afraid he would hurt himself. 

This scared Noctis, to the point he dashed out of the infirmity, ignoring the cries from the doctor and Prompto, and headed straight to his room, taking far too many deep breaths, not caring or realizing that he almost came head first into a employee in his wake. He slammed the door hard as he entered, and screamed as the walls around him shook.

Ignis could hear it from his room as he almost slipped out his chair at the sharp sound. Thinking it was danger, he bolted down the hall to the princes room to investigate. When he opened the door, he expected the worst, but instead he saw the prince sitting atop his bed, a fist bunched up into the sheets looking positively troubled. A hand covered his face as his shoulders shook uncontrollably with gasping breaths. Only knowing one reason why the prince would be reduced to tears, he walked forward, and held his arms out as an invitation. Noctis saw it and took it. He dived into Ignis’ chest as he cried. 

 

\--

 

It was on the second day in the morning when Prompto’s fever broke, and was actually coherent to his surroundings. Noctis was notified by the doctor in the middle of his breakfast via text. His eyes went wide and choked on his food at the news, sending the dining room into a panic. Gladio thumped him hard on the back to get him to breath, while Regis called out for help. Once he got his breath back, he jumped from his chair, almost landing on the floor ungracefully, and ran out the door, passing by the nurse without looking back. Gladio and Ignis were two steps behind him.

He threw back the infirmary doors dramatically. A wide grin broke out when he saw Prompto propped up on a pile of fluffy pillows, golden hair fanning around his head like a golden halo. His arms rested in his lap, fingers playing with the sheets bundled up around his hips. He looked beyond tired, and still sick, pale skin and red across his cheeks, be he was awake at least. 

And Noctis couldn’t be more happier.

Noctis walked up to the bed, pulling out the chair and thrust it beside the bed, ignoring the clank of the metals connecting to each other. He never took his eyes off of Prompto.

“ Hey.” He whispered.

Prompto shifted his head on the pillow to look at his friend and smiled. “ Hey.”

“ You had me worried you dork.” He added, keeping his voice low and bringing a hand to brush the golden hair away from his forehead and touching the skin. It was warm, but not burning. He was getting better. 

Prompto close his eyes in content as the fingers played with the ends of his hair. The sensation sent shivers through his body. It wasn’t a bad thing. Far from it. It comforted him. The feeling of knowing someone he care for was with him.

“ I’m sorry. “ he croaked, voice heavy with sleep. 

Noctis chuckled to himself as he watched his friend fight to keep his eyes opened, but failed miserably. “ Its ok to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

He never knew if Prompto heard or not, as the blond was fast asleep a second later. The room fell into silence once more. He listened to the birds outside as they chirped their songs. It was beautiful to listen to. He yawned after some time. His own body needing rest after the last few days. His constant worry kept him from having a full nights rest and waking up numerous times in the night. Now that he knows his friend is ok, his body begged for sleep.

Grabbing a pillow from the spare bed, he lay it down on a empty space off of Prompto’s side. He punched the pillow to soften it up. Once satisfied, he lay his head down, and fell asleep to the rhythmic breathing if his friend.

 

\--

 

Ignis strolled down the royal hallway to the princes room to deliver his lunch when the sound of gunshots and gurgling caught his ear. He sighed loudly as he pushed the door opened, to reveal Noctis and Prompto sprawled on the bed, controllers in their hands and clicking away at the button like mad men. 

“Excuse me, Your Highness. “ He coughed to get their attention and pulled the tray into the room and kept it off to the side.

Both boys lifted their heads and smiled up the advisor. Two pairs of bright blue eyes grew wide with excitement as they saw the tray filled with delicious looking food. Noctis failed to look at his phone for the text me missed from Ignis. He was just too busy playing his game with his best friend. He dropped the controller to the ground and headed over quickly to the advisor.

“ And here I was thinking you boys weren’t hungry. “ Ignis smirked, giving them both a look. “ But I can see your game is more important.”

“ Yeah! But we like food better.” Noctis smiled, and grabbed the plate Ignis . “Right Prom?”

At the mention of his name, Prompto jumped from his nest of pillows and blankets pilled up on the bed and nodded furiously . “Y-yeah!”

Ignis smiled when Noctis graciously grabbed Prompto’s tray of food. He was still quite sick to be up and moving. The doctor was very strict about that. Plenty of rest and lots of food and water was what he recommended. The boy had suffered through a nasty flu, which attacked so furiously because of his weakened immune system. With the shots and boosters he received, it should prevent such an illness in the future.

Noctis walked back to the bed, carefully balancing the plates in his arms, and passing it off to the blond, who thanked him with a smile and looked ready to devour the food. He had been an a diet of nothing but soups and pureed foods for the first few days. And when he was introduced to solid foods, he almost cried.

Ignis walked to the door as the two made themselves comfortable on the bed once more. They started digging into the blankets like a miniature fort. “ Well then, I’ll let you resume your game. Do not hesitate to call me if need be.” He said , bowing low and exiting the room.

“ Thanks Ignis!” Noctis called out, eyes glued to the screen.

Prompto lowered his fork and knife, giving the advisor a smile. “ T-thanks Ignis.” He coughed out.

The door was quiet shut as the other left the room. They left their controllers on the ground and out of the way and went straight jnto eating. Who knew playing video games could get your appetite rolling? They ate silently for a few minutes until Noctis spoke up.

“ I see your eating better. How does it feel?” He asked, grinning as Prompto devoured his food.

“ It feels amazing. Solid food is really the best. You never appriciate it until it’s taken away from you. I’m just glad I can keep it down too.” He laughed, throwing another piece of chicken into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. Noctis nodded, knowing full well how it felt. He was just so glad his friend was feeling better. The past few days had been really hard for the both of them, and it was finally coming to a close.

“ Well, don’t get yourself too excited and get sick again. There is still so much we can do here!” he cried out,picking the controllers back up. “ Your going to be here for at least a week, so get comfortable. Like really comfortable. The doctor wants you to focus on sleeping. “

Prompto raised an eyebrow and snickered. “ Isn’t that your job?”

“ Sure is!” Noctis said, puffing his chest out. 

The two laughed hard, but ended too soon when Prompto had started coughing. Noctis thumps him on the back gently until he stopped. He rest the back of his hand against Promptos forehead.

“ Noct, I’m fine. Really.” He breathed, grabbing the hand and placing it softly to the bed. Their eyes met. 

“ Funny. The last time you said that, you were really sick and had to be hospitalized.” He blurted. He realized his mistake, but it had to come out. He wanted Prompto to know he was worried. 

Prompto knew his actions had caused his best friend lots of pain. And not just him, but Gladio and Ignis too. But they still cared so deeply for him. Took care of him every moment of the days, just waiting for him to make a full recovery. And it meant the world. 

“ I’m sorry.”

Noctis just shook his head and smiled. “ Its fine. I’m just glad your ok now.”

Prompto smiled back. Tears building behind his eyes. Gods he loved Noctis. With all of his heart. “ Yeah. Me too!”

“ You promise that you will tell me the next time you feel sick? “ He hesitated, fingers playing with his utensils. “ Your my best friend Prom. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Promptos heart skipped a beat. Those words were filled with love and concern. Never had he had anyone speak to him like that. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “ I promise Noct. I never meant to hurt you. I’ll do so right away. And your my best friend too! Always and forever.”

He received a punch to the shoulder from the prince as he cried out. “ Ow Noct! What the hell? “

“ We sound sappy. Hurry up and pick up your controller. I feel like kicking your ass today.” He laughed, throwing his body away to avoid the return punch from the blond.

“ Worst friend ever!” Prompto yelled but smiled while doing so.

They ate the rest of their meal while playing their game, laughing loudly. They never knew that a certain advisor and shield had been listening in. Large smiles of their own decorated their faces. They had raised a wonderful prince, who cared so deeply for another. Nodding to each other, they wondered down the hall, the lovely sounds of laughter rang in their ears.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.


End file.
